Reaching for Heaven
by Twilight-Imp-626
Summary: It has been roughly one year since Ari and Kenta became part of the Kaiba household. On this day when life is celebrated, what new bonds will be forged? Sequel to "Melting the Snow." KaibaxOC SetoxOC
1. Proposition

_**Reaching for Heaven**_

_So folks, here it is, the first chapter to the sequel of my first multi-chapter fic, __**Melting the Snow**__. It's been written for a while now, but I haven't had the free time to type it up. But now that I've got a spare moment, I'm gonna do it! Muahahahahahahahahahaha!! Sorry, just on a bit of a sugar high. _

_Oh, a few real life updates that might also explain my abscence. I attended my first junior prom just over a month ago, and I got myself a new boyfriend! Yayness! (Hi Tim-kun!!) And I got a job at a local restaurant. The hours suuuuuucccckkk, but I'm not gonna complain about it, 'cuz I'm going on a two week vacation with one of my friends (Hiiiiii ChaoticKinkyCola!!) to North Carolina at the end of July! Beware, North Carolinians, beware! If anyone lives down there, gimme a shout out! Maybe I'll see you there! Haha!_

_Anyway, guess I better get to typing before you rabid fan-peoples eat my soul (too bad Mrs. Parker got it first)!_

**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I do own this plot, as well as my cracktastic buddies Ari, Kenta, and Laine. Steal them and I'll EAT YOUR FACE!!_

_--_

Fingers flashed across a keyboard with deft precision, while an intense gaze darted acros the screen, following the lines of words and figures that appeared. A lock of brown hair fell in front of ice-blue eyes before it was flicked back into place impatiently.

As the limo finally came to a stop in front of his mansion, Seto Kaiba, CEO and owner of the world-renowned Kaiba Corporation, shut his laptop, the click of the lid echoing the previous sounds made by the keys only moments before. Stowing the computer in its case, he hoisted it over his shoulder and stepped out of the vehicle. He made his way to the entrance with quick, even steps, pushing the large oak doors open. Walking briskly through the main hall, he stepped into the living room, and promptly collapsed into the nearest chair. Rubbing his eyes with the heel of one hand, he let his head drop back and let out a weary sigh.

Seto didn't fully relax until a warm pair of arms encased his shoulders and a set of soft lips captured his own. A few locks of hair, almost the exact same shade as his own, fell across his face, tickling his nose and cheeks with their feather-light touches. He let out a low-pitched hum of pleasure before the other person pulled away. Opening the eyes he didn't remember closing, he found himself gazing into bright green ones that seemed to radiate warmth and love.

"Hey there," Ari greeted him softly.

"Hey yourself," he whispered back, running a finger along the side of her face.

She smiled, taking his hand in one of hers. "Rough day?"

"You could say that," he groaned. "Some _idiot_ in one of the lower levels screwed up one measly little detail, and it took me all day to find it _and _fix it."

Ari laughed. "Well, not all of us have your freakishly high IQ ya' know?"

Seto gave her a rueful smile. "I suppose not."

Lacing his fingers through the hair at the back of her head, he pulled her gently back down until their lips met once more.

"Ack! Get a room!"

Ari and Seto broke apart. The elder Kaiba glared at the two teens standing in the doorway, mischievious grins on their faces.

"Seriously, that's gross!" said the one with raven-colored hair, wrinkling his nose.

"Betcha's wouldn't think it was gross if it was you and _Melody_," Ari retorted, cackling with glee when Mokuba blushed crimson.

"_Kenta!_ You _promised _ you wouldn't tell!" the younger Kaiba hissed, glaring at his brunette friend.

"Dude, what can I say? My sister has evil powers! She forced it out of me!"

"Right," Mokuba scoffed. "_Tickling_ is an evil power."

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Seto interjected impatiently. "What do you two want?"

"Oh, yeah! I wanted to see if Ari would duel me!" He brandished his deck, grinning lopsidedly. "How about it?"

"If you really want to get beat, then I guess I'll play."

Seto smirked as his younger brother huffed indignantly, before leading Kenta and Ari out of the room.

--

"Hey, Seto, you got a minute?"

Later that same night, the elder Kaiba had gone to his room to continue on a few things. Kenta had come up not long after.

"Sure, come on in."

The younger boy came in, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"I just wanted to make sure that everything's all lined up for tomorrow."

The older brunette nodded. "It's all taken care of. I've called Yugi, he agreed to get the guys up here early to help set up, Ryou promised to bring the cake, and Laine, Tea, and Serenity said they would keep Ari busy until it's time for the actualy party."

"And you're _sure_ that my sister doesn't know about it?"

"Positive."

Kenta breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. This whole thing has to go off without a hitch. This'll be the first birthday party she's had since...you know." His smile faltered for a moment.

Seto grimaced, knowing full well what the other spoke of.

"She just...lost the will to celebrate for a while." Kenta laughed, but it sounded distant and hollow. "I'd be surprised if she even remembers that her birthday is coming up!" He shook his head. "Anyway, she's going to love it!"

"I hope so," Seto said, his brow furrowing in a look that the younger boy knew usually meant that he was contemplating something serious.

"So, what did you get her?"

The elder Kaiba reluctantly drew himself out of his thoughts. "That," he said matter-of-factly, "is for me to know and for the rest of you to find out."

"Aw, come on! I can keep a secret!"

"That's not a chance I'm willing to take."

"Fine! Then I'm not going to tell you what I got for her!"

"Too late, Mokuba already did."

Kenta threw his hands up in the air. "I give up!" he said exasperatedly, storming out of the room.

Seto chuckled as the door shut. Turning back to his desk, he reached down and opened one of the lower drawers. He stuck one hand in and pulled out a carefully wrapped bow, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. The serious expression that had shaped his expression only moments before crept back into place as he turned the package in every direction, inspecting each facet with care. It was so light that he could have tossed it up in the air and caught it with ease, yet in his mind, it weighed more than a ton. There was so much riding on the little box's contents that he feared it would be crushed under the pressure.

His ears registered the sound of soft footsteps approaching. He put the box back in its hiding place and shut the drawer just as the door opened, this time admitting Ari. Before she could even glance his way, he took a few quick steps to her side, and swept her up in his arms. She laughed as he spun her around a few times, holding her tight. Tilting her face up, she pressed her lips against his, smiling slightly when he pressed back. They broke apart after a few minutes, and Ari tucked her head under his chin, perfectly content in the safety of his arms.

"I missed you today," she told him.

"I missed you, too. I still feel horrible about having to call off our lunch plans."

"It's okay," she told him, drawing back so she could look him in the eyes. "I know you were busy. I mean, you're running an entire company for god's sake! You can't always have free time."

"Sometimes, I wish it was someone else's headache, because I get so sick of dealing with idiots who can't even _type_, let alone try to organize anything, _and_ a whole crowd of stuck-up, greedy little-"

Ari carefully drew out of his embrace and sat down on the bed as he continued his tirade, pacing up and down the length of the room. She had learned that when he was in a mood like this, it was best to just get out of his way. It would only be a matter of time until he ran out of steam. So for the time being, she just sat back and enjoyed the show.

As expected, Seto eventually calmed down and dropped onto the bed beside her, hiding his face in his hands.

"You done?" Ari asked.

"Yes."

"Good," she chuckled, pulling on his shoulders until he leaned back, resting his head in her lap.

She buried her fingers amidst the locks of his hair, loving the soft feel. After a minute or so, she moved one hand to cup his cheek. As she watched, his expression changed from one of annoyance to one of thoughtfulness.

"Watcha' thinkin' 'bout?"

Seto looked directly into her eyes, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine.

"Do you know what tomorrow is?"

Ari blinked, a little surprised by the sudden change of topic.

"Um, Saturday?"

"No."

"The 16th?"

"The 16th of what?"

"The 16th of August, but I don't see-" She stopped herself, realization hitting her like a brick wall. "Oh...wow..."

She stared into space, looking at something that was visible to no one else. He reached up and took hold of her chin, turning her face back towards him. He gently ran his thumb over her lips.

"So, what do you want for your birthday?"

For a moment, she looked absolutely shocked. Seto thought back to what Kenta had said before, the simple fact that Ari's birthday hadn't been celebrated for ceveral years; of course being asked what she wanted for a gift would surprise her after so long.

"Ari?"

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, reminding him of a fish. "I don't - I mean, you-" Taking a deep breath, she started again. "You don't have to get me a present," she said quietly. "I don't need anything."

"I know you don't _need_ anything. I asked about what you _wanted_. It _is _your birthday; you're allowed to be a little selfish."

Ari let out a breath of laughter. "Even if I was selfish, I still wouldn't ask for a gift. Anything - and everything - that I could _ever _want is right here."

Sero sat up with almost inhuman speed and captured her lips with his own. This kiss was more passionate that the others they had shared that day, more urgent. Ari wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as his hands settled on her hips. She let herself fall back, taking him with her, until her head hit the pillows. One of his hands found the edge of her shirt, slipping underneath and pressing against the small of her back. Her arms unwound from his neck so they could push his trench coat off of his shoulders. His hands left her for a moment to help, returning only seconds later. Every single touch seemed to be icy and scalding at the same time, intensifying each reaction.

When they finally broke apart, both of them had to take several deep breaths. Seto moved so that he lay at Ari's side, still holding her close. Once he could breathe without gasping, he took her hand, lightly kissing it.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered back, nuzzling against his chest.

A comfortable silence descended upon the room. The combination of warmth and the overwhelming sense of security made Ari's eyelids grow heavy.

When she realized that Seto had said something, she strained to stay awake. "Hm?"

"I said, you're getting kidnapped tomorrow."

"By who?" she yawned.

He chuckled. Laine, Tea, and Serenity."

"M'kay then..."

"...Are you falling asleep?"

Another yawn. "No..."

"I think you're lying."

The only reply this time was the soft sound of her breathing. Seto maneuvered carefully until he was able to pull the sheets over both of them, without relinquishing his hold on her.

"Sweet dreams, my love."

--

"A little bit higher, Joey!"

Yugi, Yami, Joey, Tristan, Ryou, and Bakura had all arrived the next day after the girls had come and taken Ari away. Ryou had brought the cake, as promised, and was spending his time making sure that Bakura couldn't get to it. Yami, Joey, and Tristan were hanging up the decorations while Yugi directed. Kenta and Mokuba darted back and forth, helping where they could.

Seto was a nervous wreck, though the only outward sign was his nonstop pacing.

"Yo, Moneybags! I think ya've gotten all da execise ya' need. How 'bout givin' us a hand?"

When the CEO didn't reply, the blonde began to get annoyed. "_Hey_! Yer da one who asked us to come ova' here in the first place! Least ya' can do is-"

"Joey, enough," Yami cut in as he tacked up another bunch of balloons. "Kaiba's obviously got a lot on his mind."

"He must be pretty worried about something," Tristan said. "I've never seen him pass up a chance to insult Joey before."

Seto remained oblivious to the conversation that went on around him. There seemed to be no way for him to calm down. His mind was in utter turmoil. When his cell phone suddenly went off, he practically had a heart attack. He pulled the device out of his pocket and flipped it open.

"Hello?"

**"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Kaiba!"**

He flinched away from the phone, the volume of the other person's voice nearly blowing up his ear drums.

"Laine, please, you don't have to yell."

**"Awwwww, you're no fun! Fine, I don't wanna talk to you anymore! Put Bakura on, at least he's adorably cynical!"**

"What do you want?" Seto asked with a weary sigh.

**"We're heading back there now. It should only take us about...a half hour, so get your butts in gear, and finish the preperations!"** And with that she hung up.

Seto closed the phone, shaking his head. "Alright, they're on their way back right now, so let's get this done."

"It'd be easia' if ya' helped!"

"Fine, mutt. I'll help."

--

"C'mon, birthday girl!" Laine crowed. "Get a move on!"

The girls had spent the entire day out on the town. All in all, it had been pretty fun, even when they almost got kicked out of one particular department store; Laine seemed to enjoy hiding amongst the clothing racks and jumping out to scare innocent passers-by.

"She's like Bakura with boobs!" Serenity giggled.

After a quick lunch, the blonde had declared that it was time to take Ari home.

"Laine, slow down!" Tea called. "It's not like Kaiba's going to move away in the next five minutes!"

"You don't know that for sure!"

Ari's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. So far, it had been the best birthday she could ever remember having. She had gotten to wake up in the arms of the man she loved, _and_ spend the day with her best friends.

_What more could a girl ask for?_ she wondered.

When they arrived at the mansion, Laine practically broke down the doors in excitement.

"Kaibey, we're home!" she yelled in a sing-song voice.

"_Kaibey_?" Ari bit her lip to keep from bursting with laughter right on the spot, though it barely worked.

It did strike her as odd, though, that no one was there to greet them. Usually, the boys would be hiding somewhere, just waiting for the chance to ambush her. Today, however, there wasn't a soul in sight.

Ari gave a mental shrug. _Guess they decided to give me a break today._

Laine planted herself directly in Ari's path. "Since it's _your_ birthday, _you_ get to decide what we do next."

"Hmm...I say we raid the freezer for some ice cream, then find an absolutely horrible movie that we can watch and make fun of."

"Sounds like fun!" Serenity said cheerfully. "You look for the movie, we'll get the ice cream."

" 'Kay."

Ari made a quick trip up to her room to sift through the small collection of movies she had managed to salvage from her previous home. Selecting one, she went back down the stairs.

"Guys?" she called, looking around for the others.

"In the living room!" Tea replied.

"You guys better not have eaten all the ice cream," Ari muttered.

She quickly walked down the hall to the living room door, turned the corner, and-

Stopped dead in her tracks.

The entire room was decorated with a multitude of streamers and balloons. A large banner hung across the wall, bold, colorful letters proudly stating 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARI!' On the table in the middle of the room sat a small pile of presents, as well as a beautiful cake. All of her friends stood around it, smiling at her look of shock.

In the end, it was Bakura who broke the silence. "Get over here and blow out the damn candles already!"

--

The party was absolutely amazing. The cake was delicious, and everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves. But of course they all reached the peak of excitement when it was time to open the presents, waiting to see how much Ari would like each gift. Yugi, Joey, and Tristan had pooled their funds together to get her one of the new Duel Monsters cards that had just come out at the shop. Laine, Tea, and Serenity had also gotten her a collaborative gift: a cellphone.

"That way, you don't have to worry about not being able to contact someone if you get into a jam," Serenity said.

Ryou declared that the cake had been his gift, baked using an old family recipe. Yami had searched all over for an Eygptian-style amulet that he said brought good luck. Even Bakura had something to give.

"Hey, these look like the flowers Grandpa planted in front of the Game Shop," Yugi commented, peering at them closely.

"That's where I got them from," Bakura replied, grinning wolfishly.

Laine cackled with glee. "I like the way you think, Spikey!"

Next, Mokuba presented their gifts: an extremely well-drawn picture of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and a small, heart-shaped locket.

Finally, everyone turned to look at Seto.

"Alright, Kaib', yer turn!"

"Yeah, c'mon bro!"

For a moment, the elder Kaiba closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the small box out of his pocket, handing it to Ari with slightly trembling hands. She smiled back at him as she began to unwrap it.

"I told you that you didn't need to get me anything."

He shook his head. "I got this weeks ago."

"What is it, what is it?" Ryou asked excitedly, craning his neck to get a peek.

Ari removed the last bit of paper, and opened the small, velvet covered box.

For a single moment, even the molecules of air seemed to come to a complete standstill. Ari's eyes grew wide, the disbelief they contained unconcealed.

Inside lay a single ring, only one diamond on the topmost curve of the gold band. Unfreezing for a mere moment, Ari looked up and found Seto standing directly in front of her. In a single, swift motion, he took on of her hands and dropped to one knee.

"Ari...will you marry me?"

--

_If any of you couldn't tell this was what was going to happen since the beginning, then I disown you as my fans. Go on, go! Shoo! _

_Lol, jk, jk, my friends. Anyway, I'll start on the newest chapter ASAP, so keep your eyes peeled. Oh, and the blooper chapter for __**Melting the Snow**__ will come as soon as me and the inspiration for Laine can get together for a little while, so watch for that too._

_Ciao!_


	2. Visiting

_**Reaching for Heaven**_

_Alright, back again with another installment! _

_I barely had any time to write because of work. I now officially hate working on Sunday mornings. Too many damn church groups and such come in, we get totally swamped, tension between co-workers increases, and you begin to lose the feeling in your legs. But I'm making money, so I can't really complain. Plus, my computer just recently decided to hate me, and it took it forever to start working right again. Damn electronics._

_The countdown for my vacation is now at 1 week, 3 days! North Carolina here I come!_

_I was very pleased with the number of people who participated in my poll. Sorry Bakura/Ryou fans, but it looks like i gets to use my original idea! Thanks for the votes anyway!_

_Finally decided to get off my ass and write this chapter. Figured I better get it finished before I head off to North Carolina for TWO WEEKS!! Woo hoo!_

_So, as you all know, Seto proposed in the last chapter. Honestly, I couldn't freakin' wait to write that scene!! I've just been dying to write this chapter as well!!. Even during the summer, I'm a very busy girl, but I will try to update as quickly as possible! XP Anyway, I'll end there for today. Let's get back to what you're all waiting for!_

_**Disclaimer**__: Please don't sue me!! I swear I'm not trying to steal Yu-Gi-Oh...just Seto!! XD_

--

**Chapter 2**

Ari couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Her tongue felt thick and swollen, preventing any coherent response from being made. She sat there in shock, unable to move even a tiny bit.

Everyone in the room staring at her, their eyes boring holes straight through to her soul, none moreso than Seto. She tried to say something, anything, but she seemed to have forgotten how to speak. It was like her brain had comletely shut down, along with every other system in her body

Using a tremendous amount of effort, Ari gathered her scattered senses. Gently, she took her hand out of Seto's grasp, heart twinging when a flicker of hurt appeared in his ice blue eyes. She closed the tiny box held in her other hand, and pressed it to her heart. Tears streamed down her face as she gave the smallest of nods.

With a single trembling hand, Seto cupped one side of her face, eyes searching.

Smiling, she nodded again. "Yes."

She was only allowed a moment to admire the look of absolute joy that completely dominated his gaze, before she was tackled by an all too familiar blonde blur.

"I can't believe it!" Laine shouted gleefully. "My little Ari is all grown up _and_ getting _married_!"

The other girls circled her in a flash, each offering their own congratulations in excited voices. Ari barely had time to answer any of the questions that were thrown at her, one on top of the other. A glance over one of her friend's shoulders showed that Kenta and Mokuba hadn't moved, both still in shock, but obviously pleased. A little farther away, Seto was in the same position as she was; the boys had him surrounded, clapping him on the back and laughing when he glared at them.

Once they were both able to escape from their overly-enthusiastic friends, Seto took the chance to actually slip the engagement ring onto her finger, inciting another round of squeals, congratulations, and laughter from all present.

--

Hours later, when the excitement had worn down, Seto, Mokuba, and Kenta began taking everything down (since they hadn't really helped put much of it up) while Ari saw their guests to the entrance. Everyone agreed that it was time to call it a night. Everyone that wasn't Laine.

"The party may be over, but I'm sure as hell not done celebrating," the blonde proclaimed. "Who's up for some clubbing?"

Most of them shook their heads, laughing nervously at her boundless energy.

Bakura shrugged. "I'm game."

"Suweet!" Laine threw an arm over his shoulders. "By the way, I'm broke, so _you_ get the privilege of buying _me _drinks."

"Wait, what?!" There was an unbroken stream of curses and protests as she half-dragged him out the door.

"Well, we've got to get going, too," Yami said. Yugi had crashed a little while before, and the former pharoah was now carrying him piggy-back style. With a soft mumble, the younger of the two shifted a little before going still again. Yami grunted. "He's a lot heavier than he looks."

"Alright," Ari laughed, "Just get home safe."

Tristan gave her a dramatic salute. "Will do."

"I'm so happy for you," Serenity said, giving her one last quick hug.

Joey stared at her for a few moments, a wide grin plastered across his face.

"...What?"

He snickered. "Guess we gotta start callin' ya' Mrs. Moneybags, eh?"

Ari blushed crimson. Someone in the back giggled. "That's it, I'm officially kicking all of you out."

"Fine, we're goin'. See ya' 'round, _Mrs. Moneybags_!"

"Bye, Ari. We'll see you again soon."

"Don't forget to send us our invitations to the wedding!"

"I won't, don't worry!"

She waved goodbye as the darkness swallowed them one by one, before going back to the living room. The boys were still busy putting a few things away, but Ari could hear the excitement in their voices as they talked. Mokuba glanced over, spotting her in the entrance. He nudged Kenta with an elbow, and they both scampered away, smiling all the while. Seto was still facing away from her, folding up the banner. Silently, Ari walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing tightly. He froze for a second before setting down the banner, turning to face her, and folding his own arms around her back, grip just as tight.

He felt a tremor run through her body. "What's wrong?"

Ari shook her head. "Nothing, it's just...I kind of knew you were planning something, but I...definitely didn't expect _that._"

Seto let out a breath of laughter. "You have no idea how long I've been trying to get up the courage to ask. And I was still scared stiff."

"You? Scared?" She laughed, craning her neck to get a better view.

"Hey, I am human."

"Seto Kaiba, admitting that he's _human_?" She pushed back a little. "Who are you, and what have you done with my-"

She stopped midsentence, an odd look in her eyes.

"What?"

A timid smile formed on her lips. "It's going to take me a while to get used to calling you my fiance."

He grinned, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Same here," he said quietly, moving closer.

Their lips pressed together gently, moving together in a slow, practiced dance. It was as if they were in their own little world, where no one could touch them, and they enjoyed every single second of it.

They finally drew apart after what seemed like an eternity. Seto gazed down at her from under half-closed eyelids.

"As much fun as today was, I think I'm going to enjoy tomorrow even more."

Ari cocked her head to one side. "How come?"

"Because, I get to have you all to myself, instead of sharing you with everyone," he replied with a smirk.

She smiled back, but dropped it after a moment. "Actually, do you mind if I do something on my own first?"

He frowned. "What is it?"

"It's something that I haven't done in a while...and I think now is a good time to do it. It wouldn't take that long, just an hour, probably a little less." She paused, watching him anxiously. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, but promise me that you'll explain what it's all about when you get home, okay?"

"Promise."

--

Ari left early the next morning, before anyone else had even woken up. She left a note on Seto's door, reminding him that she would be back as soon as possible.

Now, standing in the open air, she took a deep breath. The light breeze ruffled the small bouqet of flowers that she held. Carefully, she set them down on the empty patch of grass between two similar polished headstones. With a shaking hand, she traced the each carved name in turn.

"Hi, mama...papa." Her voice was quiet. "I'm...I'm really sorry I haven't come to see you guys in a while. Everything has been-" She searched for the right word. "-really crazy this past year. You probably wouldn't believe half of it. I did manage to get a place of my own. Kenta and I only got to stay there for a little while, though. It got completely trashed after this big storm. Place was a dump anyway, but it was still our home. I'm glad I followed your example and kept all the photo albums and stuff under my bed. Those were practically the only things that didn't get ruined."

She laughed. "I know for sure that you wouldn't believe who got us out of that situation. _Seto Kaiba._ Remember how we would always see stuff on the news about him? Papa, you would always tease Kenta, asking him if he planned on taking over any big companies when he got that old. He would start saying that he didn't plan on doing that, because he wanted to become an insurance salesman, just like you. And I wanted to be a vet, even though I got queasy around blood. I was always better with electronics anyway. Still am. Guess that's a good thing, too. Otherwise, I might not have started working at Kaiba Corporation, and there wouldn't have been anyone to save us. Seto actually took us in, gave us a place to stay, and...I guess it was only natural that I would fall in love with him. Who would've known that behind that cold, business-man facade- and I know what you'd say, papa; _facade_, that's an awfully big word for me, _haha_- he was so kind, and caring, and sweet, and...just all around lovable."

Ari shook her head, letting a small laugh escape. "I never thought that I'd being saying something like that about someone. You guys always said that when I fell in love, I'd find myself doing things that I used to think were mushy, or weird. Guess you were right about that. And, boy, did I fall for him. I never really thought that I'd feel that kind of love for anyone but you, or Kenta, or even Laine. She's helped me out a lot since..." She paused again, taking a deep breath to calm her raging emotions. "Since you guys left. She's like the twisted, demented, hyper-as-hell sister I never had. Her dancing school has really taken off. She's come a long way from taking ballet lessons at the community center."

"I...I guess I should get to the point, huh? I've always had a bad habit of trying to put off telling big news. You guys knew that, though. Anyway, I'm, uh...I'm getting married. Seto proposed to me yesterday. On my birthday. That was one hell of a present. I never even saw it coming. I mean, I know he loves me; he tells me that much everday. But still, it was a shock. It's not like I haven't imagined it before, but it was always kind of like a fantasy for me. The excitement hasn't really hit me yet, but I guess it will soon. Probably sometime this week. I know Laine is going to want to help me plan everything. Tea and Serenity, too. But..." Ari finally let the tears that had slowly been building throughout her entire speech fall. "I really wish you guys were here for this. It's times like this that really make me realize how much I miss you. You've missed Kenta growing up- he's in high school now- and you've missed so many birthdays, and big moments, and now this."

Her voice became thick and heavy, but she pushed on. "Mama, I know you would have made such a big deal about it. You would've been all happy and bubbly, insisting that I wear the same kind of wedding dress that you did, pushing me to plan every little detail. I know you would've been crying on the actual day of. You were always so emotional. And papa...god, I wish you were going to be there to walk me down the aisle. You would've been saying how proud you were of me. And I know that, at some point, you would've pulled Seto aside and told him that if he ever hurt me, you'd snap his neck. But I think you would have liked him. He's a business man, just like you. In fact, I bet the first thing you would've done would have been to try and sell him an insurance policy. That's just how you were. I...I really miss you. Both of you. God, it just isn't _fair_. It's not fair that you got taken away from us. _It's just not fair._"

She had moved on from just tears to heavy sobs. For what seemed like hours, she just stood there and cried. It had been a long time since she had just let herself cry. When she managed to get herself back under control, she felt better than she had in a long time. Faint voices reached her ears, and she decided that it was time to get going.

"Alright, well, I have to go now. I promise that I'll come by with Kenta sometime soon; he probably wants to see you guys, too. Bye..."

--

When Ari got home, the boys were just finishing up breakfast. All eyes turned to look at her as she came into the room.

"Hey, where did you go?" Kenta asked.

She knew that her eyes were still red from crying, but she didn't bother to try and hide it.

"I was just visiting someone."

Her brother's eyes clouded over a little. "Why didn't you take me, too?"

"There was just some things I needed to do on my own. I'll take you over next weekend, though. 'Kay?"

Kenta nodded, smiling half-heartedly, before he returned to his breakfast, though he only picked at what was left.

Seto and Mokuba had watched the exchange in silence. Both could sense the unease that the seemingly mundane words hid. Mokuba was the first to attempt the lighten the mood.

"Hey, Kenta, why don't we go hit the pool or something? The weather man said it was supposed to be a scorcher today."

"Huh?" Kenta looked up from his breakfast, broken out of his thoughts. "Oh...sure."

They gathered their plates and left the room, Ari watching them. She sensed Seto come up behind her, and unconsciously leaned into his gentle embrace.

"Who were you visiting?" he asked, the tension in his voice quite obvious.

She sighed and closed her eyes. "My parents."

He tightened his grip, dropping his head so he could rest it against hers. Ari appreciated the subtle gesture of comfort and affection. They remained like that for a few minutes, until he broke the silence.

"If you need to talk about it...you know I'm here."

"I know."

"Good."

He suddenly felt her go still in his arms. Her breathing became quick and shallow, and Seto grew anxious.

"Ari, what's the matter?"

"We're getting married..." she whispered incredulously.

"Well...yes."

"We're getting married!" she said again, this time a little louder.

"Yes, we're getting married."

"_We're getting_ _married_!"

She practically squealed as she turned and threw her arms around his neck. Seto was so surprised by the sudden action that he almost fell over, just managing to right himself before they both tumbled to the floor. Ari had started laughing like an idiot, and before Seto knew it, he had joined in.

--

_Okay, I'm finally done! I'm reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallly sorry that it took me so long to get this done. I have several friends that had already begun to threaten me in various ways because I was taking so long. _

_I know that there wasn't really any LainexBakura action, but I just needed this chapter to start throwing in the basis for it. I promise to keep developing it as I move the plot along. As I said, I'm going to be leaving for North Carolina this Saturday, but I promise to work on the next chapter while I'm there. My crazy friend ChaoticKinkyCola is the one who's taking me, so we'll be able to make some crazy crap up!_

_On another note, has anyone ever watched _Operacion Repo_? I was watching a marathon of it while I finished this chapter, and I'm now officially hooked. I like the boss-guy, his daughter, and big Mike, but I can't stand Sonia. She's so cocky and bossy and it drives me nuts._

_Oh, does anyone remember this one murder case from a 10 or more years ago? It was the one where some guy shot his wife in what he claimed was self-defense after she stabbed him, but it was total bullshit. The knife wound he had was only from a paring knife, which is less than 2 inches long. Supposedly, his wife pulled this tiny knife from a block that was stocked with butcher knives and meat cleavers; if you wanted to hurt someone, you'd grab the bigger knife, don't you think? Anyway, the woman lawyer on the persecution team is actually my cousin! I saw a rerun of the court case played on TrueTV, and my dad told me that Karen Cox is actually my cousin. I thought that was kind of cool, seeing as how I'm related to someone who busted such a huge scumbag like that! Go, cuz!_

_Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!_


	3. Cake and Kisses

_**Reaching For Heaven**_

_Ugh, this took a lot longer to get up than I thought it would, mostly because everything has been really hectic lately. My grandma got her final surgery done, so I've been going over to her house every day after school, and I usually stay until 7:30 or 8. This past weekend, my dad's parents were in town, so I was busy spending time with them (my grandma bought me __Brisingr__!). Then, I went to the renaissance festival with my friend ChaoticKinkyCola, my mom, my grandma, and a whole bunch of other people. I bought a totally awesome cloak that I plan on using as my part of my Halloween costume (Happy Hollow-een to my fellow Bleach fans!). I was really sick for the past few days. I managed to get to the doctor's yesterday and found out that I have some weird sinus thing going on, so it makes my throat really sore, plus an ear infection in one ear, _plus_ another ear infection starting in the other ear! Sounds like fun, huh? Oh, yeah, I'm just having a f#*ing ball!_

_Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to scare you guys. Just the pain talking. No worries, I'm good. Anyways, onto the story!_

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**Chapter 3**

"Okay, now try this one!"

"Laine, I'm gonna be sick! Can't we take a break?"

"_No_! We have to stay on schedule!"

Once Ari and Seto had gotten over the initial excitement of being engaged, they had started trying to figure out all of the details for the wedding. Laine had immediately volunteered to supervise everything, and they had readily agreed, only to realise much too late that her version of 'supervising' involved a complete takeover of all planning. And once she got started, there was no on to stop her.

"Three months," she told Seto and Ari one day, "is the perfect amount of time to get everything just right. So your wedding date is exactly three months from now."

"Laine! Didn't you even think about asking us first?!" Ari exclaimed. Seto stood behind her, glaring.

"No, and I already reserved the church!"

Now, a month later, it was officially 'Cake Day,' according to Laine's Schedule.

"Seriously, Laine, I don't think I can handle anymore."

"There's only a few more samples for you to try, and then it's Dragon-boy's turn!" the blonde replied cheerily.

Ari eyed the few remaining chunks of cake warily. Most of them had been normal, but a few had been so disgusting that it made her nauseous just to think about them. Until today, she had never known that there was such a thing as bubblegum cake with mint frosting.

Ari looked back up at her friend, eyes pleading. "Can't we just stop here? I already know my favorites, so I just have to run them by Seto when he gets home."

Laine sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. It would take too long to convince you to change your mind."

They both heard the sound of footsteps echoing in the hall, and moments later, Seto, long white trench coat, ice blue eyes, and naturally toned body, was there standing in the doorway. He set down the box he was carrying and in a few strides, he had crossed to Ari's side, circling his arms around her possesively.

"Hello, gorgeous," he greeted, smile dazzling.

Ari couldn't do anything but giggle helplessly. Ever since the day she had accepted his proposal, it had become almost physically impossible to keep them apart for long. Whenever they were in the same building, they were rarely more than a few inches away from each other, except, of course, at work. Even then, he would occasionally send her an

e-mail that always had an "I love you" hidden somewhere amongst the actual work.

If it was possible, Seto had started being even more protective than ever. When any guy so much as looked at Ari, he would stare them down, making an obvious point by wrapping one arm around her shoulders or waist. Ari thought that this was a bit much, but Seto would not be swayed.

Laine rolled her eyes, smirking at the two of them. "When you two are finished with this little love-fest, we still have some work to do." She looked at Seto. "Did you pick up the invitations?"

Seto carefully picked up the box he had set down and took off the lid. Inside was a stack of beautifully crafted invitations, each identical except for the names listed at the top. Creating a guest list was one of the few things Ari had actually been allowed to do on her own.

"Wow! These look great!" Ari exclaimed, picking them up one-by-one and laying them flat on the table.

The blonde puffed out her chest. "Would anything I do be less than absolutely perfect?"

"You could work on perfecting your people skills," Seto said bluntly, chuckling when she deflated.

"Aw, what would you know anyway, Mr. Fwooshy Coat! Start tasting some cake, so your mouth won't be able to flap around so much!"

She was preparing to start off on a long-winded rant when four invitations were suddenly thrust into her face.

"What are these for?" she asked, taking them and staring, head cocked to one side.

Ari smiled. "Well, two of them are for your mom and dad, one is for your brother, and one is for you."

"Why would _I _need one? It's kind of a given that I'm coming."

"True, but since you're my maid of honor, I don't think it would be right to skip any formalities ." She paused for a secod, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. "Plus, I know you love to make scrap books, so why not add this to one of them?

The blonde snickered behind one hand. "You know me too well, my friend." Suddenly, her grin disappeared and her head snapped around to look at Seto. "Hey, why aren't you sampling cake? We're gonna fall behind schedule! Eat, for the love of God, eat!"

"Alright, calm down!" he said grabbing a fork and the nearest piece of cake.

"So, which one do you think we should order?" Ari asked when he had tried them all.

"I think I'm kind of partial to that one," he said, pointing at one that had been among her favorites.

"Okay, it's settled!" Laine crowed, punching numbers on her cellphone with one finger as she happily skipped out of the room.

Seto moved back to Ari's side, wrapping his arms around her waist. She laid her head on his chest, sighing contentedly.

"Sometime that girl has a little too much energy for her own good," he muttered.

Ari laughed and looked up at him. "Just be glad that _she _wasn't the one eating cake. We'd have to tie her down!"

He laughed heartily and looked down at her lovingly, and something caught her eye.

"Hey, you still have a bit of icing on your face."

"Really?" he asked, reaching up to brush it off."

But before he could reach it, and before he could stop her, Ari stood up on her tippytoes and...licked the bit of icing off of his cheek. For a few minutes, Seto just stared at her in stunned silence, and she felt heat rising rapidly to her cheeks. She thought that she had possibly been a little too forward, and was about to apologize, when he suddenly leaned back down, kissing her hungrily, pulling her body flush against his own in one swift movement. They had kissed like this before, but he had always been the one to instigate it. Never before had it been so urgent, needy, and filled to the brim with passion and love. Ari looped both arms around his neck, pulling him closer, shivering. She was lightheaded, and very glad for the support he was giving her. Had he not been holding her up, her already trembling legs would have given out completely. Seto seemed to know this, because he gently picked her up and set her back down on the counter so she had something to sit on.

He broke the kiss, and Ari began to protest, only to have her objections come out as a startled gasp when his mouth attached to her neck. She unconsciously tilted her head back, showing more skin. His hands were under her shirt, moving up her sides at a painstakingly slow pace, as if he was trying not to startle her. She could feel the heat coiling in her stomach, making her even dizzier than before. For someone who had never even had a girlfriend before he had met her, Seto was good at this.

Out of nowhere, a wooden spoon smacked him right in the head. He and Ari seperated immediately, one of them clutching his head with his hands, both of them flushed and out of breath. Laine stood beside them, arms crossed, foot tapping, spoon still firmly in hand.

"What they hell is wrong with you?!" Seto demanded.

"_I_ am protecting my best friend's innocence!" the blonde announced proudly, glancing back at Ari, who was hastily pulling down the edges of her rumpled t-shirt and smoothing down her disheveled hair. "It's my responsibility, as maid of honor, to make sure that you-" She pointed at the other girl. "-keep _your_ honor. You two have to stay at a strictly PG level." Laine stopped for a minute, smiling wickedly. At least until your honeymoon."

She cackled mercilessly when Ari blushed a deep crimson, only made worse by the laughter.

"Speaking of which, a honeymoon destination is something you guys have to pick. Can I trust you two alone for one night?"

"Where are you going?" Ari asked curiously.

She was shocked when Laine gave her a shy smile and blushed.

"Well, I've sort of got a date tonight."

"Oooo, is it with Bakura?" the brunette teased.

Laine nodded her head vigorously before running out of the kitchen, leaving a surprised, but very pleased, couple in her wake.

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_This chapter was a bit shorter than I had hoped, but what can you do? I'm gonna start working on the next one soon as possible._

_By the way, did anyone else know that 'Emo' is actually a real name for someone? I was looking up names for the characters in another story of mine, and I couldn't believe when I found that one! XD_


	4. Old Acquaintances, New Alliances

_**Reaching For Heaven**_

_I am soooooooooooooooooo sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long! I've been so caught up with the holidays and school and all this other stuff. Plus, I've had the biggest case of writers' block in the entire world. Luckily, ChaoticKinkyCola saved me yet again, and now I'm back with yet another chapter for you guys! Yay!_

_This chapter is going to work a little more towards developing the relationship between Laine and Bakura, but Ari and Seto are still in here, along with a new character. Sooooo, let's get going!_

_**Disclaimer**__- I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! and that fact makes me very sad. 'Cuz if I did, I'd be rich, and I'd probably have a car, and a mansion and Kaiba *drools.*_

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**Chapter 4**

"_Ari_! You've just gotta come see who's here!"

Kenta's voice was carried through the dining room and into the kitchen, were Ari was busy flipping through a magazine filled with sample floral arrangements. Tonight, she planned on sitting down and deciding some of the smaller details for the wedding. The boys were going over to a friend's house for the night, Seto was working, and Laine hadn't been seen all day, so it looked like she would actually have some peace and quiet for once.

Still focused on the magazine's pictures, Ari walked out into the entrance hall. "Who is it, Kenta?" she called back. "I'm sure whoever it is would appreciate you leaving their eardrums intact."

"Your sister's right," a familiar voice said. "I like being able to hear things."

Ari's head snapped up and her jaw dropped. Standing in the doorway, a silly grin plastered on his face, was Abura, Laine's older brother. He was about 6 foot 2, with short, brown hair and a slight mustache. With a joyful cry, Ari ran toward him, dropping her magazine as she embraced him. He laughed, ruffling her hair affectionately.

"How've ya' been, kiddo?"

"Hey!" She pushed away and placed her hands on her hips, scowling. "I'm anything _but_ a kid!"

Abura cocked his head to one side. "Does that mean you're a whore?"

Ari lashed out with her foot, catching him in the shin. He howled in pain, clutching his injured knee. Kenta doubled over with laughter.

"What the hell?!" Abura cried. "You did say _anything_! I was just trying to guess!"

"What do you want?" Ari asked, arms crossed, foot tapping.

"Well, I _was _going to drop something off, but you can forget it!"

Ari rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'm sorry. Now tell me why you're here, you oversized dork."

"Alright, alright," he relented. "My mom called me yesterday and asked if I would mind driving up and delivering a bit of an early wedding present for you."

"Ooh," she said, her eyes softening, "they shouldn't have done that. It's bad enough they still insist on getting me a present at all."

"Please, sis, these are Laine's parents; stubborness is hereditary in that family," Kenta pointed out.

"He's right," Abura said. "Besides, this kinda already belongs to you. They've just been holding onto it for you. You're really gonna like it, too. Let me go get it out of my car."

Before she could protest, Abura jogged back out the door.

Kenta wiped at his eyes. "He never changes."

Ari shook her head. "No, he doesn't."

In seconds, Abura was back, carrying a long, slightly bulky bag in his arms. Ari thought it looked familiar, and when Abura brought it closer, she realized why. She had seen it hundreds of times before when she was little, but she had never dreamed it would one day belong to her.

Abura smiled, placing it in her trembling arms. "Mom knew you'd like it."

Ari gripped it tightly, blinking away tears. "Thank you," she said past the lump in her throat. "Thank you so much."

"Anytime," he replied.

"Why did your mom ask _you_ to drop it off, though?" she asked. "It seems like Laine would have jumped at the chance."

Abura chuckled. "Laine actually has a date tonight, or she would have. Plus, I had to come up this way anyway." He glanced at his watch and swore. "Man, I'm gonna be late! Look, it was great seeing you guys again, but I have to roll."

"Yeah, me and Mokuba have to get going, too," added Kenta as Mokuba trudged down the stairs, carrying what looked like every video game he owned.

"Take care, you guys," said Ari, looking at them, eyes bright. "All of you."

Kenta and Mokuba nodded, and Abura grinned, saluting her before he walked out. The door shut, leaving Ari alone. She stared into space for a few minutes, before turning around and walking up the stairs to her room.

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"Why did you drag me _here_, of all places?" Bakura groaned, observing the lights of the carnival with disdain.

"Be_cause_," Laine said giddily, "I love going to the fair! There's rides, greasy food-"

"When does this become fun?"

"There's also people screaming in fear as they plummet from the sky, games that involve hitting things with various weapons, and cars smashing into one another."

"What are we waiting for them?!" he asked, grabbing her arm and pulling her forward.

Laine laughed and followed. They spent the night dashing between one ride or booth and the next, palying every game and gorging on all the unhealthy food they could get their hands on.

Out of the corner of his, Bakura noticed a couple at a nearby game. The man had just won, and his girlfriend was clapping. The man behind the counter handed him an oversized stuffed bear. As soon as it was in his hands, he held it out to his girlfriend. She squealed with joy before throwing her arms around him. Bakura watched them until they walked away, hand in hand, before he made his decision.

Glancing over his shoulder to where Laine was happily stuffing cotton candy in her mouth, he felt even more sure of himself.

"Hey, Laine!"

"Nya?" She looked up, bits of pink and blue fluff stuck to the edges of her mouth.

"I'm gonna run off for a few seconds.

"Don't get lost," she replied, returning her attention to her treat.

Bakura smirked and began walking away, leaving her alone. A few minutes later, as she was licking the last sticky pieces of cotton candy from her fingers, something was suddenly shower into her line of sight. She blinked, making it come into focus, and had to hold back a laugh. The object was a stuffed fox as long as her arm and covered in bright red fur. A little pink tongue stuck out of the side of its mouth, giving it a comical look. Bakura shot her a triumphant grin.

"Where in the world did you get this thing?" she asked.

Bakura shrugged nonchalantly. "Won it."

"It's so cute," Laine cooed, petting it between the ears.

"Go on, take it," he said, waving it impatiently.

"Huh?" She cocked her head to one side, confused.

"It's for you," he blurted out. Looking flustered, he continued. "Well, I mean, you know, I don't really want it, I just liked the game, and stuffed animals are really for little kids and chicks, so-"

He was cut off by Laine's laughter. She doubled over in her seat, and her eyes were squeezed shut. Bakura clenched his jaw, a strange, almost painful feeling in his chest. Before he could stalk away like he wanted to, she had jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck in a crushing embrace.

"You are so _adorable_ when you're trying to be sweet on me!" she squealed.

"Um, thank you?"

Still giggling, she pulled away, taking the fox with her. In the same, fluid movement, she grabbed his hand, tangling her fingers with his, and began to tug him towards the ferris wheel. Bakura followed without protest, still in shock from Laine's impromptu hug, and lost in the feeling of her soft, warm fingers entwined with his own. He only vaguely registered climbing up the rickety steps to the ride, returning the wink the ride attendant gave him with a blank stare as they sat down. He came to himself when the wheel began to spin and his stomach began to drop. His gaze wandered over to where Laine was gazing out over all the booths and other attractions, uncontrolled joy alight on her face.

Suddenly, her eyes went wide. Frowning, she began fishing around in one of her front pockets with her free hand, while she used the other to keep a hold on her new stuffed treasure.

"What's wrong?" Bakura asked curiously.

"Let's just say that my women's intuition is tingling," she replied.

Finally, she managed to bring out her cell. She rapidly punched in a few numbers before holding it up to her ear.

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Seto listened to the muffled curses and sounds of frustration coming from the other side of Ari's door as he tried to keep from laughing. There were only a few things that could get Ari's dander up, and he couldn't help but wonder what it could be this time. Chuckling softly, he raised his hand and knocked twice.

"Come in!" Ari called.

Seto turned the handle and pushed open the door, ready to ask what was wrong. As soon as he laid eyes on her, however, he stopped, speechless.

Ari stood before him, wearing one of the most beautiful wedding dresses he had ever seen. The top section melded to her every curve and contour almost perfectly, appearing more like a second skin than an article of clothing. The material across her chest was ruffled slightly, but not enough to look make it look too decorated. Beaded lace appliques created dazzling patterns all the way from her torso to just below her hips. The skirt flowed around her legs like water. The back of it tapered outwards, letting the train pool behind her.

Seto snapped out of his trance-like state when Ari growled. He finally noticed that she was struggling to zip up the back of the dress. No matter how she twisted or turned, she just couldn't reach it.

"Here," Seto said, his voice oddly hoarse. "Let me help."

She flashed him a quick smile, turning around and holding her hair up. "Thanks. You have no idea how long I've been trying to get this thing zipped."

Seto reached up with hands that were definitely _not _shaking. He slowly pulled up the zipper, his gaze definitely _not _lingering on the sight of her perfectly smooth back as the white material closed over it. He let go and she let her hair fall again before spinning around once, stopping so she faced him.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I...I think you-" His voice cracked embarassingly, and his face turned crimson. Ari covered her mouth with her hands, trying not to giggle. Frustrated with himself, Seto pushed on. "It looks great on you. Where did you get it?"

Ari's smile faltered, and she looked down. "Laine's brother Abura dropped it off," she replied quietly. "He said his mom had been holding onto it for me. It...it used to be my mom's."

"I would never have guessed," he said, cupping her cheeks with his hands and turning her face up. "It looks like it was made for you."

"You really think so?" she asked, eyes bright.

He smirked. "Have I ever lied to you?"

"No," she said, smiling back at him.

"Then," her began, leaning forward so that his every breath washed across her lips, "you have no reason not to believe me."

Seto closed the miniscule gap between them, pressing their lips together. Feeling the familiar fluttering in her stomach and weakening in her knees, Ari closed her eyes, placing her hands on his chest to steady herself. She pressed herself closer, and was surprised when she felt his head pull back. But before she could protest, he began to gently nip at her lower lip. She gasped, letting out a soft moan, and he took the chance to deepen the kiss. Lips, tongues, and teeth danced together slowly and sensually, and all the while, Seto's hands slowly inched downward, sliding across her neck, shoulders, sides, hips, and-

His phone began to ring.

They quickly broke apart, breathing heavily. Despite the lack of air in his lungs, Seto still managed to mutter a long string of curses as he reached into the pocket of his trench coat to grab his phone. Ari wrapped her arms around his neck, holding herself up, still panting.

When Seto managed to find the offending device, he opened it with a loud snap, not bothering to check the number. "What the _hell_ do you want?!"

"_**Hand check**_**!**" Laine screeched. She laughed hysterically, then hung up.

Seto threw the phone onto the floor and dropped his head onto Ari's shoulder.

"We might have to do the wedding without a maid-of-honor," he groaned.

"Why?" Ari asked.

"Because I'm going to kill Laine."

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Bakura just shook his head as Laine continued her insane laughter. "You are one twisted bitch."

"Like you have room to talk," she giggled. After a few minutes, she managed to calm down. With a sigh of relief, she said, "That was the cherry on top of the best night of my life."

"The _best_ night?" Bakura asked unbelievingly.

Laine nodded, blonde locks bobbing with every motion. "Like I said earlier, I love carnivals, and they're even better when you go with someone. And you're just a bundle of fun! I really do like yo-"

She cut herself off, blushing. She turned away, looking like someone who thought they had said too much.

Bakura was a man who lived in the moment. Very rarely did he let an opportunity pass him by, and it was even more rare for him to regret taking advantage of those opportunities. When he had lived in ancient Egypt, he had lived on impulse. If he saw something he wanted, he stole it, not bothering to think about the consequences.

So maybe that was why Bakura the Thief King, intrigued as he was with the woman sitting across from him, leaned across the short distance between them and stole a kiss.

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_I thought that would be a cute spot to end it. It's not a cliffhanger, just an adorable little chappie ending. I hope you guys liked this chapter. If you want to see what Ari's dress looks like, just ask for the link. I've tried posting links before and it didn't work out, so just ask._

_As always, read and review please!_


	5. Invitation

_**Reaching For Heaven**_

_I was actually able to get this chapter out a lot faster than the last one. Hopefully it won't take me too long to write up the next one. I'm thinking there's only gonna be about two, _maybe_ three chapters left. Like I said in the beginning, this fic is meant to be shorter than __Melting the Snow__. After all, I can only drag out a wedding fic for so long. But I've already finished the first chapter of the sequel to this fic, which I hope will end up being longer than this one. I haven't been able to think up a suitable title for the third one, so if anyone can think of a title that would work with the rest of the series, just throw it out there. I'll even write a one-shot fic for the person who comes up with the winning title (as long as it is about a movie/book/manga/anime that I've read/seen). _

_**Disclaimer**__: *Sigh* No, I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or Seto. I'm still depressed about that. *emo in a corner*_

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**Chapter 5**

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Ari rolled over and smacked the alarm clock, effectively cutting off the annoying beeping. Ignoring the part of her mind that insisted she go back to sleep, she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She had set the alarm so she would wake up early enough to take a shower before work. Seto constantly told her that she should just stop working all together. Normally, Ari would only have to glance into the depths of Seto's startling ice blue eyes and just melt, giving in in a split second. This, however, was one issue she refused to back down on. It wasn't as if she needed the money. After all, she was living in a mansion, with maids, a butler- the works! But throughout her entire life, Ari had never accepted charity unless it was absolutely necessary, as it had been when Seto came along. Her father had always said that if she had the ability to do something on her own, she should use that ability to the fullest. Taking the easy way out made people unprepared for dealing with the real world. Besides, most of the last 4 years of her life had been spent working her butt off, both in school and her actual job. It wasn't something she could give up easily.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Ari threw off her covers, stood up, and stretched. Hoping to relieve her sore muscles and stiff joints, she headed for the room's adjoining bathroom, looking forward to a nice, hot shower.

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Ari emerged from the bathroom a little while later, feeling awake and refreshed. She was fully dressed, and her still-damp hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. Usually, she just kept it down, but every once in a while she would get the urge to break the monotony.

Looking over at the bed, she noticed it had already been made during her short absence from the room. No matter how many times she told the maids that she could clean up her room on her own, they still came in every once in a while and tidied up. Ari had a sneaking suspicion that Seto had probably told them to do it, but she let it slide. With a sigh, she walked over to the bed, knelt down, and reached underneath. Within seconds, she pulled out her work bag. It was made of some kind of sturdy black material, and had a Blue Eyes White Dragon on the front. She had gotten this particular bag from Mokuba for Christmas. Her old bag had been so worn out from years of use. It had originally been her backpack for school and was on the verge of giving out.

Still smiling, she opened the bag, pulled out a large manilla envelope, and opened that as well. Inside, there were two of the wedding invitations that Laine had put together. Ari pulled them out, double-checked the names, and slipped them back inside, satisfied.. She carefully placed the envelope back inside her bag before slinging it over her shoulder and leaving the room.

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Seto and Ari walked through the front doors of Kaiba Corporation together. Their hands were clasped between them, fingers entwined. Seto hadn't had any qualms about letting their relationship become public. Even before he had actually confessed, he was sure there had been rumors going around. Plenty of people had seen him taking her to and from work, not to mention there had been a million different members of the press at the Sashimi Grand Ball. Nobody had really acted all that surprised, but he had beefed up security for a while, just to make sure that nobody could harass him or Ari.

As they got closer to the front desk, Ari stopped. Seto looked back at her, a puzzled look in his eyes. She smiled and nodded her head in the direction of the receptionist. Understanding dawned on his face, and he nodded back. Leaning forward, he gave her a quick peck on the lips, then headed off down the hall towards the elevators. Still smiling, Ari walked over to the desk where Kichi sat. The other woman looked up at her when she approached.

"Well, look who it is!" Kichi greeted cheerfully. "How have you and Mr. Kaiba been?"

Ari blushed. Kichi was always very observant, and the younger woman was sure she had seen the hints of attraction before Ari herself even had. "We've been good," she replied. "Really good. I, um, actually wanted to talk to you about that."

She glanced around to make sure that no one was looking, then quickly slipped around the desk so she was at the older's woman's side. She knelt down next to Kichi's chair and began to dig through her work bag again. In seconds, she had pulled out the manilla envelope, followed by one of the invitations it contained, which she handed to her co-worker. The woman read it, and her eyebrows shot up.

"Is this for real?!" she whispered fiercely.

Ari nodded, biting her lower lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh. My. _God_!" The older woman clapped her hands together excitedly. "I can't believe it! Congratulations sweety!"

"So you'll come?"

"Of _course_ I will!"

"Yay!" Ari exclaimed, giving her friend a quick hug. "I have to get going. Lots of work to do!"

Kichi laughed as she watched her young friend run down the hall.

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Ari stood absolutely still, staring at the back of the man seated at the desk in front of her. He was completely focused on his work, computer on his left, a stack of papers on his right.

"Kanaye," she called softly.

His movements paused for a moment, but quickly started up again, though he had tensed up.

"Kanaye," she tried again.

His head turned slightly, almost like he was going to look at her, but at the last second he twisted back around. Ari hesitated, then reached forward and gently touched his shoulder. She felt him start, but forced herself not to back down.

"Kanaye, listen. I know... I know that you probably don't want to have anything to do with me, but I need to talk to you. It'll only take a minute, and you don't even have to say anything back." Taking a deep breath, she pushed on. "Before me and Seto... got together, you were... well, you were my friend. I know we had a bit of a back and forth, but underneath it all, we were definitely friends. I-I still want to be friends with you. Even though you've ignored me for almost a year now, I still see you as my friend." She carefully reached into the bag that still hung from her shoulder and pulled out the second wedding invitation, carefully setting it on Kanaye's desk. "If you decide you don't want that, give it to Kichi, and she'll get it back to me. "Just-" There was a lump forming in her throat, and she struggled to speak past it. "-think it over, 'kay?"

She took her hand off of his shoulder and walked to her desk with a heavy heart. Blinking back a few tears, she sat down, started her computer and got to work.

At the other end of the row, Kanaye gingerly picked up the invitation.

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_Again, this chapter was kind of short. Actually, this is one of the shortest chapters I have ever written. There was originally another page, but I felt like it was just there to make the chapter longer. I liked ending it here, because it kind of leaves a little to your imaginations for now. _

_Driver's Ed is kind of eating my weekends, so my chapters aren't coming as soon as they could be. Plus, I may be starting work again soon, which will make my schedule even more hectic. And I'm going down to Florida on March 13th for my aunt's baby shower. The greatest part is she doesn't even know that me, my mom, and my grandma are all coming. Her husband's present to her is getting tickets for us to come down. She won't even see us until the party starts! Tee hee!_

_The next chapter is almost done. And despite my earlier beliefs, I _might, possibly_, consider doing a lemon. It would be very softcore, not really graphic, but I'm really considering it. Just figured I should try writing one at least once._

_Ciao for now!_


	6. Surprise Surprise

_**Reaching for Heaven**_

_Sorry once again for the long time between updates. I've been really busy with school and stuff. I have a job again, same place as before. I guess they just can't find anyone as good as me! Nah, I don't really think that way, but it is awesome to have some walking around money again. My English class is took a trip to Medieval Times, this totally awesome restaurant where people put on a show with horses and jousting and stuff while you eat, without any utensils! You get a bowl with a handle so you can drink the soup! XD It's so cool! And I got to go to Florida on the 13th of March for my aunt Lori's baby shower. The shower was supposed to be a surprise, but the night we arrived my Uncle Jay called us and said that my Aunt Lori was in the hospital (she had been having some early contractions). We decided that surprising her with the shower _and_ us might possibly shock her into labor, so we just went and saw her in the hospital. She was so happy that she cried. The shower went off without a hitch, but about 4 days after my mom and I left, my aunt had the baby. Born just under two months early, little Malerie Kathlyne Daigneault, 5 pounds 4 ounces, is the newest addition to my family. She is happy, healthy, and home safe. I get to go back and see her in July. _And_ I just got my hair cut. It was down to the middle of my back and now it's and inch and a half above my shoulders. Big change. Prom was amazing. My boyfriend Tim got the DJ to announce that it was our one year anniversary. I was so embarrassed, but it was so cute! Anyway, I know you guys are only here for the story, so enough about my life, and onto Ari and Seto's!_

_**Disclaimer**__- Not mine. Just the plot. And the original characters. And the crack used as inspiration._

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**Chapter 6**

Ari was curled up under several layers of sheets and blankets when Laine came bursting through the door with a loud yell. Ari shot up, eyes wide, hair sticking up in every direction. She whipped her head around, searching for whatever had disturbed her. When her eyes fell upon her blonde friend, they narrowed into furious slits.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she asked venomously.

"A lot of things," Laine chirped practically skipping over to Ari's dresser. Before Ari could protest, Laine opened the drawers and started pulling out random articles of clothing. "Come on!" she urged. "You should already be up and ready to go!"

"For _what_?!" Ari asked.

"He-_llo_! The groom is not allowed to see the bride during the twenty-four hours before the wedding, which means you have to stay with me tonight! Yay! Sleepover!"

That was when the full gravity of the situation hit Ari. The wedding was _tomorrow_. She was getting married _tomorrow_. In the months leading up to the wedding, Ari had managed to keep her cool, always able to assure herself that it was still a ways away. But now, with the ceremony looming right in front of her face, all of the fears and doubts she had managed to keep under her thumb welled up.

"Laine?"

"Nya?" The other girl didn't even look up from the clothes in her hand.

"Do you…do you think I'll make a good wife for Seto?" She spoke in little more in a whisper, slightly ashamed that she was voicing such a ridiculous uncertainty.

The blonde paused, and then continued her packing at a much slower pace. "You're getting pre-wedding jitters a little later than I expected."

"What can I say?" Ari answered sheepishly, trying to smile and failing miserably. "I'm different."

Laine sighed, set down the clothes she was holding, and sat down on the edge of the bed, smoothing out the skirt she was wearing with her hands. "Listen Ari. You have been a terrific girlfriend, an amazing fiancée, and you're going to make an absolutely perfect wife. Seto is already head-over-heels for you, and vice-versa. That's the most important thing. There is no reason for you to get worked up." She smiled, looking her friend straight in the eye. "You couldn't be a bad wife- or even a bad _person_- if you tried. You're too kind and caring for that."

Ari looked down, watching her fingers as she tangled them in the sheets. "Do you really think that?"

Laine shook her head. "I don't think it; I know it. Now hurry up and get dressed. Can't chance having your hubby-to-be seeing you until tomorrow."

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Laine practically dragged her friend out of the mansion and into her car in record time. She gave Ari just enough time to fasten her seatbelt before she took off at an alarming speed, laughing insanely. Surprisingly, she didn't Laine didn't head straight to her house. Their first stop was at a little café in town where they served Ari's favorite type of hot chocolate. She hadn't been there in years, so she savored every rich sip.

They took their time (a rather difficult feat for Laine) and checked out some of the smaller shops along the street. Eventually, they made their way back to the car. When Laine pulled back out into traffic, Ari noticed they still weren't going the right way.

"Hey, isn't your apartment in the other direction?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I have to pick up Bakura's jacket. I've left it at the studio the other night. I figured there was a better chance of losing it at my place than there was at the studio."

"Why do you have it in the first place?"

Laine shrugged. "Bakura and I agreed that it would be safer in my care. He didn't want it to get ruined before he even has to wear it."

Ari had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Bakura had refused to wear a tux or suit to the wedding, but Laine had managed to coax him into at least wearing a nice sport jacket. He had called Ari about two weeks before to let her know, though he hadn't sounded thrilled about it. Ari had assured him that he only had to wear it through the ceremony, and could take it off as soon as the reception started.

The girls pulled into the parking lot by the side of the dance studio. Ari had planned on staying in the car while her friend retrieved the jacket, but Laine obviously had other plans.

"Please come in with me!" Laine pleaded. "You haven't been over here in ages!

"I doubt you've changed much since the last time I was here," Ari pointed out.

Laine widened her eyes and stuck out her lower lip in a rather prominent pout. Ari's resolve crumbled in an instant. They both got out of the car, and Laine pranced up to the studio door. She stopped for a few moments, trying to find the right key, before pushing the door open and bounding down the hall. Ari followed at a more leisurely pace, retracing her steps to the main dance hall. When she reached the large oak doors, she turned the knob and opened them. Immediately, she was assaulted by the smell of food and the sight of several familiar faces. Laine was standing beside Tea and Serenity. Kichi was helping Ryou set what looked like fresh baked cookies and brownies on the table that already had some gifts sitting on it. Laine's assistant dance teacher, Chiro, was there as well, trying to suppress the laughter that bubbled up when she saw Ari's look of surprise.

It was Ryou who finally spoke up. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to join the rest of us?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips.

Ari groaned. "_Please_ don't tell me that this is what I think it is."

Now it was Kichi's turn to smile. "You didn't think we were going to let you get married without giving you a proper wedding shower, did you?"

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Despite her initial aversion to the shower, Ari soon relaxed, and even found herself enjoying the party. It was just like a normal girls' day out, with the addition of feminine little Ryou. The talked, gossiped, and had fun together. Brownies were eaten, stories were exchanged, and everyone had a good time.

Ari felt the dread resurfacing when Laine announced that she had some games for them to play. "The first game," she told them as she handed out pieces of paper and pens, "is called 'How Well Do You Know the Bride?' I have a list of questions that I'm going to ask all of you, and you're going to write the answers on your papers. When everyone is done, we'll compare your answers to what Ari has written."

To Ari's immense relief, the questions weren't that personal. Laine asked things like 'what is Ari's favorite color,' and 'when is Ari's birthday.' The only question that all of them struggled with was 'when did Ari and Seto first meet,' an event that Ari had kept from most of them. In the end, it was Kichi who won. Laine gave her a basket of hair care products she had bought from a local beauty salon.

Next, Laine brought out a box of tube socks. Each one had been tied closed, hand a number stuck to it, and appeared to contain some kind of object.

"Shoes and socks off!" Laine ordered.

"If I have to stick my feet in something gross, you're dead," Tea replied dryly, scrunching up her nose.

The blonde laughed. "No, it's nothing like that. As you all know, Dragon-boy is taking Ant-girl here to the Bahamas for their honeymoon. I got a whole bunch of items that they will probably need while they are away, and put them in these socks. You guys are gonna use your feet to feel the different items and guess what they are!"

This game proved much more entertaining than the last. Each of them was able to correctly guess at least one item, but Serenity was definitely in the lead.

"I guess being blind for part of my life is finally paying off!" she said with a laugh.

Ryou placed another sock under her feet. Serenity gently prodded, poked, and picked it up, but it seemed that she had finally been stumped.

"Is it another bottle of sunscreen?"

Laine bit her lip as she stifled a fit of giggles. "No."

"Aloe lotion?"

"Nu-uh."

"Come on, boss! Tell us what it is!" Chiro pleaded.

Laine's entire frame shook with suppressed laughter. "Ari, go ahead and take a look."

Fearing the worst, Ari went over to Serenity and took the sock. She untied the knot that had kept it closed, reached in, and pulled out a medium sized bottle. It looked just like a bottle of sunscreen, or even skin moisturizer. Ari turned it over so she could read the label, and immediately blushed bright red. Laine started laughing so hard that she fell out of her chair. Ryou and the other girls just looked on in confusion.

"What is it?" Ryou finally asked, craning his neck to see what Ari was holding.

Ari let out her breath through clenched teeth. "It's…it's massage oil, and…" -She seemed to physically struggle before she could get the words out. - "…lubrication."

Everyone in the room was silent for a single moment, before their laughter joined Laine's, some of them falling to the floor as well. Tea was soon crying as she laughed, and Chiro appeared to be having trouble breathing. Ari endured it all in sullen silence as she plotted ways to kill her former best friend.

It took some time, but they all managed to compose themselves. Laine came up and slapped Ari on the back. "Aw, come on! You have to admit that was funny!" Ari glared back at her. "Don't worry; you'll like the next game."

Ignoring her sulking friend, Laine handed out pens and paper again. She told them that the game was called "Recipe for Happiness." The point of the game was for each guest to write down something they thought would help Ari and Seto have a successful marriage. Each of them quickly scribbled something down on their new slips of paper before Laine collected them again.

"Anyone want to volunteer to read them?" she asked, waving them around in the air.

"I will," Ryou replied. He took the papers from Laine, shuffled them into a neat little stack, cleared his throat, and began to read. "Okay, the first one is from Tea. It says, 'Don't let yourself get worked up over little things. Learn to take some things in stride.'" The other girls nodded their heads in agreement as Ryou continued. "Serenity says, 'Don't let your schedules rule you. Always make time for each other.'"

Ryou kept reading, and each person's advice truly helped Ari. It was Kichi's advice, however, that truly struck a cord in Ari's heart.

"'Just be yourself,'" Ryou read. "'You've obviously already managed to make Mr. Kaiba a very happy man. Just keep doing what you've been doing, and everything else will fall into place.'"

Kichi was smiling brightly when Ari looked at her, astonishment written all over her face. She couldn't believe that one little statement could make so many of her fears evaporate in an instant. Despite the tears that had started to well up in her eyes, Ari smiled back at her older friend.

Right before the party ended, Tea reminded them all that there were still presents to open. After the sock incident, Ari expected Laine's gift to be just as shocking. But when she looked around, she noticed that all the guests had the same glint of mischief in their eyes. She fidgeted in her seat, suddenly very nervous. Laine all but skipped over to her, arms laden with gifts.

"We all decided that you have to open Tea's present first," Chiro giggled. "It's the blue bag with the yellow tissue paper."

Ari picked the bag up and placed it in her lap, eyeing it suspiciously. It was light for its size, and packed with so much tissue paper that it didn't make a sound when she shook it. Finally, she gave up trying to guess what it was. She took out the tissue paper, carefully setting it to the side, and looked at what was laying at the bottom of the bag. For a second, Ari was rendered speechless again. Slowly, she reached in and pulled out a piece of lingerie. It looked like a dress, but it was strapless and made completely out of black lace. As Ari looked at it more closely, she noticed that it would probably only barely cover her thighs, if that.

"Are you serious?!" she demanded, blushing furiously.

"Sweetheart, you haven't seen anything yet," Chiro laughed. "We told you to start with Tea's gift because it's the most modest piece."

"You mean you all got me stuff like _this_?!" Ari spluttered.

"Nope!" Laine replied cheerily. "Mine's got more strings and less lace!"

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The party ended all too soon. Everyone helped clean up before they headed home. There was still quite a few brownies left, and Ryou insisted that Ari take them.

"If Bakura got too hopped up on sugar tonight, he'd be up until midnight, have a huge crash, and we'd never be able to get him up in the morning!" the boy explained, running out the door before Ari could protest.

Once everyone else was gone, Laine locked up the building so that she and Ari could be on their way as well. It took them no time at all to reach Laine's apartment (the insane girl sped the entire way). Ari always loved going over to Laine's little home. The small dwelling always looked lived in, but not messy. It had a warm, homey feeling that Ari just adored.

Laine had planned to kidnap her friend for several weeks, and had made sure that they had everything they would need, such as some overnight clothes, a toothbrush, and a change of clothes for the morning. In order to make sure that no members of the press could sneak into the wedding, they had requested that the priest come to the mansion for the ceremony. That also meant that Ari would be able to prepare in the comfort of her own home.

The two girls relaxed for a while when they first arrived. They ordered some takeout, watched T.V., made fun of the stupidest shows, and talked. It didn't take long for Ari to start nodding off. Laine made her get up and change before she was allowed to curl up on the couch, covered by the blankets that had been pulled out of the bathroom closet.

"Get some sleep, girly. Tomorrow's the big day."

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_Loved it? Hated it? Tell me! Lol!_

_I promise that I will work on the next chapter as soon as I can, but I'm kind of distracted by two other fics right now. ^^; But I will not abandon my little precious fic here, so stay tuned!_


	7. Dearly Beloved

_**Reaching for Heaven**_

_I know, I know! It's been forever! I am a horrible, terrible, lazy, procrastinating person, and I should be thrown out in traffic with a blindfold and soundproof headphones! But, even with college, work, and friends, I made myself sit down and get this thing finished. Now I warn you, there will be one more chapter after this, but the wait will not be as long. If it is, you may all look up my address, hunt me down, and tie me to the roof of a bus going through a low-roofed tunnel._

_**Disclaimer**__- You guys know the drill; it's not mine._

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**Chapter 7**

Ari had been staring at the ceiling for an hour. She could hear Laine in the kitchen, shuffling slowly over the linoleum tiles as she prepared her morning coffee. Ari knew that she should have been up and about as well, but she just couldn't get herself off the couch. _Today's the day,_ she said to herself. _It's really happening._

"Oh my god." She sat straight up, realization really hitting her for the first time. "It's today. The wedding is _today_. _My_ _wedding_ is today!"

With that simple revelation, all her doubts were washed away, replaced by the joy and excitement that bubbled to the surface in its place. She jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen.

"Laine, Laine, Laine, Laine, Laine, Laine, Laine!" she squealed excitedly, hugging her friend around the shoulders.

"What, what, _what_?!" Laine snapped, glaring at the excited girl with bloodshot eyes. "It is _way_ too early for you to have this much energy, and it is _way_ too early for me to deal with it."

"But I'm getting _married_, Laine! _I'm getting married_!"

The blonde stared at her for several long seconds, then pointed to the mug in her hand. "Coffee first. Marriage later."

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Laine and Ari bounced in their seats during the entire car ride back to the mansion. They burst through the front doors and ran up the stairs, giggling like crazy. Neither of them even took the time to admire the decorations that the servants were putting into place. When they reached Ari's bedroom, they were surprised to see that Serenity, Tea, Chiro, and Kichi were already there.

"We spent the night in one of the guest rooms," Kichi explained. "Mr. Kaiba said it would be easier than having to go through security this early. Plus, we wanted to be here as soon as possible to help you get ready."

As soon as Ari set down her overnight bag, she was all but shoved into the chair that was sitting in the middle of the room. Tea moved in and started to play with her hair.

"God, I wish my hair was this thick," she said wistfully. "There's so much you can do with it!"

Ari screwed up her face. "But it's such a pain to manage. Let's just get this over with."

"Geez, you sound like you don't even want to get married," Chiro giggled, handing Tea a comb and some bobby pins.

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Seto was a nervous wreck. There was still a good amount of time before the ceremony was scheduled to start, but he had already changed into his tuxedo. The jacket was an older style, with tails hanging from the back, and completely white, while the tux itself was a light blue. His hair was brushed back and wetted down, and it took all his willpower not to comb it back to its normal style. He felt twitchy and restless. Every few minutes, he would walk into a different room to check on the preperations, even though he already knew everything was perfect. He was extremely relieved when the guests started to arrive in a steady flow.

The first people to show up were Laine's family. Both of them greeted Seto with as much enthusiasm as if it was their own daughter getting married. Mrs. Sayato went on and on about how happy the two of them were going to be together. Abura remained behind his parents, only giving Seto a subtle nod in greeting.

Next to come were the Sashimis. Matamura greeted the elder Kaiba with his usual bouisterous, jovial attitude, saying that he had been waiting for this day since he had first met Ari. His wife patted Seto's cheek, a motherly smile on her face as she told him how lucky he was to find someone when they were both still young.

One of the maids came over to him then, bowed low, and told him he was needed in the courtyard, where the main ceremony was slated to take place. When he came back, he saw that Mokuba had taken over greeting guests, and was busy charming them all with his adorable, perky attitude. There were more people milling around the hall than when he had left, and some of them had started to make their way to the courtyard.

Seto took notice of one man, only a year or two older than himself, who looked a little lost and out of place. When he noticed the elder Kaiba looking at him, he paled, shifting nervously. Seto let his business-man persona fall into place as he made his way over.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting," he said cooly, extending his hand.

The man hesitantly clasped the offered hand in his own. "Not officially, at least," he replied, his voice cracking a little. "I'm Kanaye Hateko. I work in the same department as Ari."

Seto actually had to laugh. "She's told me a lot about you."

Kanaye became even whiter. "L-Look, I don't really mean a lot of the things that I say to her. I'm just teasing, ya' know, and I-"

"Calm down," Seto interrupted, chuckling a little. "I'm not going to bite. Ari said she thinks of you as a really annoying older brother. If she's said anything bad about you, she hasn't said it while I was around."

The older man let out a shaky breath. "And here I thought she was going to be royally pissed at me for the bullshit I was pulling this year," he said, letting a relieved laugh escape his throat.

Seto frowned. "She was upset that you ignored her for so long. She's already lost so much, and she thought she had lost you, too. The only thing you've done to upset me is upsetting her. We didn't even know if you were going to show up today."

Kanaye's face fell a little. "I know I messed up pretty bad, but I came to make things right."

Seto nodded. "You'll have your chance at the reception."

"Excuse me, Mr. Kaiba?" a soft, scratchy voice interrupted. Seto turned around and saw that the priest had come to stand behind him. "We are ready to begin the ceremony. If you would follow me, please, we can get started."

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She was excited.

She was scared.

She was happy.

She was sad.

She was nervous. So, so nervous.

And yet she was so relieved that the moment had finally come.

Ari clenched the base of the bouquet of white roses in her hands. She could feel herself trembling all over, even though she tried to conceal it.

Kenta came up beside her, smiling reassuringly, and offered his arm. "Ready?"

Ari took a deep breath as she looped her arm through his. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

Two-by-two, her friends made their way into the courtyard and down the aisle. Before she knew it, it was her turn.

As the bridal march began to play, Ari's feet began to move.

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Seto had to stop himself from gasping aloud when he saw Ari walk into view. She was wearing the wedding gown he had seen her in several weeks before, and it still fit perfectly. Her hair had been curled meticulously, then tied together in a bun at the crown of her head. On her hands were a pair of elbow-length gloves. She had even put on make-up, something she was usually against. Her lips were a soft red hue, and a minimal amount of mascara she wore made her long eyelashes stand out beautifully. But none of this was enough to draw attention away from the light, natural blush that tinged her cheeks as she came closer and closer to her husband-to-be with every step.

When Ari finally reached the altar, Kenta passed her on to Seto's waiting arm, giving her hand a quick squeeze as he drew away. Together, Ari and Seto turned to face the priest.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered her in the sight of God and in the face of this company to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men, and therefore is not, by any, to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, and solemnly. Into this holy state, these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." The elderly man stopped, waiting to see if anything would be said. After a few long moments, he continued. "Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?"

"Her family and friends gathered here today," Kenta said proudly, head held high.

"This is a beginning and a continuation for their growth as individuals. With mutual care, respect, responsibility, and knowledge comes the affirmation of each one's own life, happiness, growth, and freedom. With respect for individual boundaries comes the freedom to love unconditionally. Within the emotional safety of a loving relationship, the knowledge self-offered to one another becomes the fertile soil for continued growth. With care and responsibility towards self and one another comes the potential for full and happy lives. Marriage is an act of faith and personal commitment, as well as a moral and physical union between two people. Marriage has been described as the best and most important relationship that can exist between them. It is the construction of their love and trust into a single, growing energy of spiritual life. It is a moral commitment that requires and deserves daily attention. Marriage should be a life long consecration of the ideal of loving kindness, backed with the will to make it last.

The priest took a few moments to catch his breath before turning to Seto. "Do you, Seto Kaiba, take Ari Saito to be your wife, promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, foresaking all others, and keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Seto replied firmly.

"And do you, Ari Saito, take Seto Kaiba to be your husband, promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better of worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, and keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"

Ari had never felt as confident as she did the moment she said, "I do."

The elderly man nodded. "What tokens of love do you offer?"

Yugi stepped forward and handed two simple gold bands to the priest. The older man held them high above his head as he spoke.

"May these rings be blessed as the symbol of affectionate unity. These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever they go, may they always return to one another. May these two find in each other the love for which all men and women yearn. May they grow in understanding and in compassion. May the home which they establish together be such a place that many will find there a friend. May these rings on their fingers symbolize the touch of the spirit of love in their hearts."

He stopped, lowered the rings, and handed one to Seto. Seto gently slipped the glove off of Ari's left hand and slid the ring onto her third finger.

"Seto Kaiba," the priest began again, "in placing this ring on Ari Saito's ring finger, repeat after me: Ari Saito..."

"Ari Saito..."

"You are now consecrated to me..."

"You are now consecrated to me..."

"As my wife from this day forward..."

"As my wife from this day forward..."

"And I give this ring..."

"And I give this ring..."

"As the pledge of my love..."

"As the pledge of my love..."

"And as the symbol of our unity..."

"And as the symbol of our unity..."

"And with this ring..."

"And with this ring..."

"I thee wed."

"I thee wed."

The priest nodded, turned to Ari, and handed her the remaining ring. Carefully, Ari slipped the ring onto Seto's finger as well.

"Ari Saito, in placing this ring on Seto Kaiba's ring finger, repeat after me: Seto Kaiba..."

"Seto Kaiba..."

"You are now consecrated to me..."

"You are now consecrated to me..."

"As my husband from this day forward..."

"As my husband from this day forward..."

"And I give this ring..."

"And I give this ring..."

"As the pledge of my love..."

"As the pledge of my love..."

"And as the symbol of our unity..."

"And as the symbol of our unity..."

"And with this ring..."

"And with this ring...

"I thee wed."

"I thee wed."

"You have pronounced yourselves as husband and wife, but remember to always be each other's best friend. What therefore God has joined toghether, let no man put asunder. And so, by the power vested in me by Domino City and Almighty God, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Ari threw her arms around Seto's neck as they pressed their lips together, not caring that her bouquet was being crushed against the back of his head. Her ears were filled with the sounds of clapping, whistling, cheering, and crying. She and Seto drew apart slowly, staring deep into each other's eyes, smiling in the most loving way they could.

As Ari turned to look out at all her friends, she was overwhelmed. She saw Laine whistling through her fingers while a laughing Bakura wrapped an arm around her waist. She saw Kenta looking up at her, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes, even though he was trying to hold them back. The rest of the girls didn't bother hiding their joyful tears, making the boys look uncomfortable as they clung to them. She was shocked when she saw Kanaye sitting amidst all of them, clapping and smiling in his usual know-it-all way, but she smiled and waved anyway.

Suddenly, a couple in the very last row caught her eye. The woman had long, black hair, beautiful brown eyes, and the soft features that Ari saw everyday in the mirror. The man was what she imagined Kenta would start looking like in a few years. The two of them smiled proudly. Ari gasped when she recognized them, and started to call out.

But when she blinked, they were gone. Leaving only the faces of her friends to greet her. Ari smiled again as the small flaw in her otherwise perfect day was erased.

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_I really hope this was what you guys hoped for, especially since I took my good sweet time writing it! Again, sorry for the long wait! _

_There will be one more chapter after this._


	8. Flying Without Wings

_**Reaching for Heaven**_

_I am __sorry for the ridiculously long breaks between updates, everyone, and I love all of you who have stuck through it and waited for me. At first, it was just me being too lazy to type, but then my computer decided it didn't love me anymore, so the keyboard and mouse are no longer functioning, making it impossible for me to even log in. I'm back for my second year of college, however, and now have an excuse to sit and use their computers instead._

_I have decided that this will be the final chapter. I was planning on having one more chapter after this, but it just wasn't clicking, and I really liked how this one ended. So I figured I would stop while I'm ahead, gather my thoughts, and start kicking ass with a sequel._

_I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorite, or decided to add this story and its predecessor to their story alerts. I'm so glad I was actually able to write something that people liked so much._

_I would like to possibly do a blooper chapter for this story as well, so if anyone has any good ideas, PM me and I will put it together. You will be credited for any submission you make._

_Sorry about the way the song is all jammed up. It wouldn't let me edit the damn thing, or put an underline under the disclaimer, or put little splits between the beginning and end rants._

_ON TO THE STORY!_

_**Disclaimer**__: If you haven't figured out that I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh by now, you have mental health problems. I also don't own the song _Flying Without Wings._ Or the quote I used. That's credited in their somewhere XD_

**Chapter 8**

"Alright, calm down and listen up, ya' bunch of weirdos!"

Laine's voice rose above the amiable chatter in the crowded courtyard. A number of round tables had been placed all over the area, clustered along the edges of the temporary dance floor that had been set up. Seto, Ari, and their brothers were all seated at the foremost table, surrounded by their friends and colleagues. The newlyweds' hands were clasped together, fingers entwined. They looked up when they heard Laine's call, laughing at her choice of words.

The blonde smiled at all of them, then took a deep breath. "Love," she began, "is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more." She paused for a moment, her grin growing wider. "I wish I could claim that little slice of wisdom as my own, but it actually belongs to a woman by the name of Erica Jong."

"It fits these two, though," she said, gesturing at Ari and Seto. "More than anyone else I've ever met. They've both put some serious stuff on the line. Those of us who know Ari's story understand that she has her fair share of baggage to carry. After what happened to her and Kenta, I wasn't sure she would ever really reach out to anyone again, even as a friend. But then, out of nowhere, dragon-boy here- don't you scowl at _me_, buster- popped into her life. He brought along a friend for Kenta, a billion-dollar corporation, a bad attitude, and his own cross to bear. And by some kind of miracle, they managed to find that one, tiny, almost invisible thread that connected their hearts. How long did some of you have to look for that in your own lives?" Her parents looked at each other lovingly, as did the Sashimis. Yami simply laid his hand on Yugi's shoulder, squeezing lightly when the younger boy placed his own hand over it. "How many of us are still looking? There's a chance that some of us won't find it. We are here today to celebrate and rejoice in the fact that two people we care very much about actually managed to grab hold of that one-in-a-million chance, and make it into something worthwhile."

Laine raised her glass high into the air. "To Ari and Seto!"

"To Ari and Seto!" the gathering echoed, adding in whistles and cheers.

Ari laughed and clapped as her best friend, her sister in all but blood, finished her speech with a flourish, bowing deeply as she sauntered back to her seat. Bakura reached out to grab her wrist and pulled her into his lap. She tilted her head back and laughed as the white-haired man kissed her cheek, smiling against her skin. Ari's heart swelled at the sight, and she entertained the thought that, maybe, she wasn't the only one who had found something precious.

"When is the food coming out?" Kenta whined. "I'm starving!"

"You're _always _'starving,'" Mokuba retorted good-naturedly.

"That's 'cuz he's a bottomless pit," Ari joked, sticking her tongue out at her brother when he glared.

Seto watched the three of them as they teased each other playfully, and realized that, for the first time since he and Mokuba were small, they had a family. A _real_ family. Not just a brother, or a cold-hearted adopted father, but a _family._ For the first time in years, he felt complete. Gently, he lifted Ari's hand and kissed her knuckles lightly. She blushed as he looked up into her smiling, loving eyes, while Mokuba and Kenta looked on. Before either of them could comment, however, the caterers appeared and began serving the guests. The loud chatter that had picked back up after Laine finished her speech was reduced to background noise as everyone ate.

Before long, the plates were cleared away, and everyone- especially Joey- was eyeing the cake expectantly. Ari and Seto cut the first small pieces, ignoring the whistles, cheers, and catcalls that erupted as they fed each other the first bites. Ari laughed when she saw the speck of icing left behind of her husband's cheek, remembering the day they had sampled the different flavors.

As if she had heard her name, even though it wasn't said out loud, Laine appeared beside them. "You gonna keep stuffing your faces, or are you gonna show off those dancing skills I worked so hard to teach you?"

Ari shook her head, smiling. "Slow dancing doesn't exactly require that much skill."

"But it's still my favorite one," Seto interjected playfully, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards him. "Come on."

Their fingers entwined, the happy couple made their way to the dance floor. A hush came over the gathering as soft music began to play, and Ari and Seto gently embraced one another.

_Everybody's looking for that something_

_One thing that makes it all complete_

_You'll find it in the strangest places_

_Places you never knew it could be_

_Some find it in the face of their children_

_Some find it in their lover's eyes_

_Who can deny the joy it brings_

_When you've found that special thing_

_You're flying without wings_

Ari laid her head against Seto's shoulder as they twirled slowly, smiling when she felt his heartbeat under her palm.

_Some find it sharing every morning_

_Some in their solitary lives_

_You'll find it in the words of others_

_A simple line can make you laugh_

_Or cry_

_You'll find it in the deepest friendship_

_The kind you cherish all your life_

_And when you know how much that means_

_You've found that special thing_

_You're flying without wings_

Seto's arms tightened around his wife, holding her as close as possible as the music rose to a more dramatic pitch.

_So, impossible as they may seem,_

_You've got to fight for every dream_

'_Cuz who's to know which one you let go_

_Would have made you complete_

_Well, for me, it's waking up beside you_

_To watch the sun rise on your face_

_To know that I can say "I love you"_

_In any given time or place_

_It's little things that only I know_

_Those are the things that make you mine_

_And it's like flying without wings_

'_Cuz you're my special thing_

_I'm flying without wings_

_And you're the place my life begins_

_And you'll be where it ends_

_I'm flying without wings_

_And that's the joy you bring_

_I'm flying without wings_

As the song ended, Ari was forced to blink back tears for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She looked up into Seto's endless blue eyes, and lost herself in them.

_Big thanks to everyone who has stuck with me through this entire fic. I love all of you so much! If you haven't already, add me to your author alert so you know when I get off my lazy butt and post the sequel._

_Until next time!_


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